High speed circuit breaker



July 7, 1931. A. J. MOTTLAU 1,813,191

HIGH SPEED CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed April 50, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES: INVENTOR v 6% g% Au usm/vorr/au.

2 4 Z 'ATTORNEY July 7, 1931. A. J. MOTTLAU HIGH SPEED CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed April 30, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTIOR AwusiJMoU/a u.

ATTo'RNEY yam Mi Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUGUST J. MOTTLAU, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC 6t MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA HIGH SPEED CIRCUIT BREAKER Application filed April 30, 1926. Serial No. 105,721.

My invention relates to high-speed circuit interrupters and articularly to operating mechanisms there or.

One object of my invention is to provide a circuit interrupter that shall be held in its circuit-closing position solely by magnetic forces.

Another object of my invention is to provide a holding electromagnet that shall be adapted to move into position to seize its armature member and then to draw the armature member into position to close an electrical circuit.

Another object of my invention is to provide a circuit interrupter having a holding electromagnet that shall be movable relative to the stationary contact members for the purpose of closing the circuit interrupter.

A further object of my invention is to provide relatively movable contact members and an actuating mechanism'therefor in which the rate of separation between the contact members shall be greater than the rate of separation between one of them and the actuating mechanism.

In the operation of a high-speed circuit interrupter, it has been found that it is most expedient to avoid the use of a mechanical latch and to depend entirely upon magnetic forces for holdmg the circuit interrupter in its closed position against powerful springs that bias its movable member toward its opencircuit position. In such circuit interrupters, the armature member controls the-relative movement between its circuit-interrupting members.

In order to close the circuit interrupter, it is'necessary that the armature member shall be brought into engagement with the holding electromagnet. I propose to accomplish th1s movement by providing a movable holdingelectromagnet'that shall be moved into position to magnetically seize its armature member and then move, with the attracted armature member, into osition to cause the circuit interrupter to e closed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is. an elevational view, partly in section, of my circuit interrupter in its open position;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the circuit interrupter showing the position of the component parts thereof in an intermediate position;

Fig. 3 is an elevational View of the circuit interrupter in its closed position, and

Fig. 4 is an elevational View ofthe circuit interrupter at the end of the first stage of its opening movement.

My invention comprises, in general, a highspeed circuit interrupter 1 comprising a frame 2, that supports a stationary contact member 3, a pivotally mounted contact member 4, a pivotally mounted and electromagnet-supportinlgem-ember 5, an armature-supporting mem r 6 and a mechanism 7 for movin the member 5.

As s own, the stationary contact member 3 is a strip or bar of conducting material that extends forward and terminates in an arcing horn 8 that is engaged by a cooperating arcing horn 9 with which the contact member 4 isprovided. The pivotally mounted contact member 4 is connected, by a pintle 11, to an outwardly projecting support 12 of conducting material. A spring 13 is secured, by a screw 14, to the support 12 in order to bias the contact member 4 toward its outer position.

An electric shunt 15 connects the support 12 and the contact member 4 in order to avoid the necessity of having current traverse the joint between the support 12 and the contact member 4. The contact member 4 is provided with a projecting surface 16 for engagement with the upper end of the armature-supporting member 6.

The upright arm 19 of the member 5 is provided with a core member 17 anda coil 18 and its lateral and normally horizontal arm 20 is pivotally mounted, by a pintle 21, on a boss 22 with which the horizontal arm of the frame 2 is provided. A helical spring 23 connects the member 5 to the frame 2 and biases the former in a counter-clockwise direction.

An armature 24 of magnetizable material is pivotally mounted, at 25, on the upright arm 26 of the supporting member 6 that is mounted coaxially with the member 5, on the pintle 21. A tail piece 27 extends laterally from the lower end of the arm 26 and serves as a stop 'to limit the outward movement of the armaunderstood that the handle 31, here shown, is

the mechanical equivalent of a motor, gear wheel, pulley or any device for imparting motion to the shaft 32. A crank arm 34 is connected between the shaft 32 and a link 35 that, in turn, is connected to a bracket 36 secured to the arm 19. Upon movement of the handle 31 in a clockwise direction, the crank arm 34 and link serve to turn the member 5 about the pintle 21 as an axis.

In the operation of a circuit interrupter embodying my invention, and with the com-v ponent parts in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1, the coil 18 is energized by current from any suitable source (not shown), after which the handle 31 is turned in a clockwise direction to cause the crank arm 34 and the link 35 to assume the relative positions shown inFig. 2.

When the crank arm 34 and the link 35 are in their extended positions, the core member 17 is brought sufiiciently near to the armature 24 of the member 6 to magnetically seize it. Continued turning of the handle 21 causes the crank arm 32 and the link 35 to assume the positions shown in Fig. 3, with the result that the member 6 is moved into a position where the plate 29 engages the bearing surface 16 of the contact member 4 and turns the latter in a clockwise direction about the pintle 11, thereby completing an electrical circuit through the circuit interrupter 1.

During the closing operation of the circuit interrupter, the spring 28 is placed under tension to bias .the member 6 away from the member 5. i

Upon the occurrence of abnormal conditions in the electrical circuit controlled by the circuit interrupter 1, the coil 18 is deenergized in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. Upon de-energization of the coil 18, the member 6 is released and is drawn to its position shown in Figs. .1 and 2 i by the spring 28. The speed of separation move at the same rate of speed because of the v going cycle of operations may again be completed by actuating the handle 31 and re-energizing the coil 18.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a high-speed circuit interrupter that is char-\ .acterized by the movement of the holding electromagnet into position to seize its armature and draw the latter into position to close the circuit interrupter. Upon release of the armature by the holding electromagnet, the armature support is accelerated to its open position by mechanical springs and the contact members are separated. The rate of separation of the armature member and one of the contact members is multiplied by a suitable arrangement of lever arms.

Various modifications may be made in the device and system embod 'ng my invention without departin from t e s irit and scope thereof, and I esire, there ore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a switch structure, a pivotally mounted holding electromagnet, a coaxially pivoted armature therefor, a pair of relatively movable contact members controlled by the armature member, means for biasing the armature member into position to permit the contact members to open and means for turning the holding electromagnet to the contact-opening position of the armature member and for turning the holding electromagnet and the armature member into position toclose the contact members against the biasing means.

2. In a switch structure, a pivotally mounted holding electromagnet, a coaxially pivoted armature member therefor, a pair of relatively movable contact members controlled by the armature member, means for biasing the armature to open said contacts, and means for turning the holding electromagnet to the contact-opening position of the armature member and forturning the holding electromagnet and the armature member into position to close the contact members.

3. In a switchstructure, a pivotally mounted holding electromagnet, a coaxially pivoted armature member therefor, a pair of relatively movable contact members controlled by the armature member, and means for turning the a holding electromagnet to the contact-opening position of the armature member and for turning the holding electromagnet the armature member into position to close the contact members.

4. In a switch structure, a pivotally mounted holding electromagnet, a coaxially pivoted armature member therefor, a pair of relatively movable contact members controlled by the armature member, and means for turning the holding electromagnet to the contactopening position of the armature member and for then turning the holding electromagnet and the attracted armature member into position to close the contact members.

5. In a switch structure, a pivotally mounted electromagnet, a coaxially pivoted armature member therefor, a pair of relatively movable contact members controlled by the armature member, and means for turning the holding electromagnet into position to seize the armature member when in the contactopening position and to then turn the hold ing electromagnet and the attracted armature member into position to close the contact members. a

6. In a high-speed circuit interrupter, a stationary contact member, a cooperating movable contact member, means for biasing the movable contact member to its open position, and operating means for the movable contact member comprising a holding electromagnet and an armature member associated with the movable contact member through a plurality of motion-multiplying levers adapted to separate the contact memv bers more rapidly than said armature moves away from said magnet.

7. In a high-speed circuit interrupter, a stationary contact member, a cooperating contact member mounted on a lever, means for biasing the second contact member to its open positiom'and operating means for the pivoted contact member comprising an electire-magnet, an armature member mounted on a second lever adapted to engage said first lever, and means for biasing the armature member away from the holding electro-magnet, the point on said firstlever at which the second lever engages being nearer the fullcrum of said first lever than is said contact member, and the point on said second lever which engages said first lever being farther than the said armature from the fulcrum of second lever. V

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th day of April, 1926.

AUGUST J. MUTTLAU, 

